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is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 1,055.
Califon got its name because California, its original name, didn't fit on the sign, so it was shortened to Califon.
Califon was a station on the High Bridge Branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The rail line was abandoned in 1976 and now serves as a Hunterdon County-administered rail trail called Columbia Trail, which runs south to High Bridge and north to points in Morris County.
Though the mills were present in the area of Califon for some time prior to its incorporation as a town, it was quite a while before growth became evident in the mid-nineteenth century. It was first called California, from Jacob Neighbor's enthusiasm in the milling business about the time the California Gold Rush broke out. The Borough was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature from portions of both Lebanon and Tewksbury Townships on April 2, 1918.
The Califon Historical Society has registered 170 structures with the National Register of Historic Places. Califon is a Victorian-style enclave where the houses are marked with the names of the builders and their dates of establishment rather than with street numbers.